The Root

In this episode of “Shoot, You Better Than Me,” let’s talk about the residential saint posing as a substitute teacher at Fort Worth’s Castleberry High School in Texas.

Bad news certainly travels fast. And while it’s easy to get drowned out by all of the impending doom going on in the world, former NBA star Stephen Jackson has made it his mission to be a beacon of light amidst the chaos by giving back to his hometown of Port Arthur, Texas.Read more...

At this point, it’s no shock when someone spends a lifetime in prison before being exonerated of the crimes that sent them there. We know that the criminal justice system is rife with false convictions and the racism, inequities and shoddy policing practices that lead to them.

It appears “cancel culture” has had no effect on Dave Chappelle.

After months of waiting, President Joe Biden will finally nominate one of the most experienced Black women in government to one of the most important posts in his administration.Read more...

Billionaire spaceman Jeff Bezos donated $100 million of his multibillion dollar empire to the Obama Foundation in honor of late civil rights giant Congressman John Lewis. The donation included one stipulation: the naming of the plaza in front of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.Read more...

Back in June, I told y’all about the then-upcoming sports documentary The Queen of Basketball, which chronicles the life and times of one of basketball’s unheralded heroines, Lusia “Lucy” Harris. And if you have no godly idea who she is, you aren’t alone—which is kind of the point of the film. But since I’m a kind and…Read more...

“Gift Black This Holiday,” urges the The Fifteen Percent Pledge, which has changed the way major retailers respond to Black-owned businesses by compelling them to allocate at least 15 percent of their product offerings to Black-owned brands and vendors, to reflect our demographics in the United States. Created by…Read more...

Videos of Ocean City, Maryland police officers beating and tasing Black teenagers for vaping on the boardwalk sparked outrage this past summer.Read more...

Will Marc Wilson, a Black man, be able to claim self-defense in the killing of a 17-year-old teenage girl, Haley Hutcheson, in Statesboro, Georgia?

If you thought beating the Golden State Warriors this season—who last I checked have the best offense in the league, the stingiest defense in the league, and an NBA-best 15-2 record—was already nearly an impossible feat, things are about to get infinitely worse for the rest of the NBA with the imminent return of one…Read more...

Wendy Williams’ brother Tommy is speaking out against rumors that his sister, veteran radio legend and talk show icon Wendy Williams is currently suffering from dementia.Read more...

The long wait is over for fans of HBO’s ground-breaking drama Euphoria, as the show is set to return Sunday, Jan. 9, per TVLine.Read more...

Does anyone remember Victor Page?

On a recent episode of Victoria Secret’s VS Voices podcast, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka expressed her frustrations with the discriminatory behavior that women face in pro sports.Read more...

This is embarrassing coming from my home state. But not shocking. The University System of Georgia’s governing board has decided to keep the names of people who were slave owners and supported segregation on 75 buildings of public colleges and universities across the state.Read more...

Chrystul Kizer, a victim of child sex abuse, was 17 years old when she shot and killed her abuser, Randall P. Volar, set his house on fire and stole his car in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Now, her upcoming trial is getting a new spotlight in the wake of Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal.Read more...

Michael Strahan was an out-of-this-world football talent, but who knew he’d ever actually leave earth?

There’s a ton of stuff you can’t possibly know about parenting until you experience it firsthand. I’ll forego the entire list—it’s an ever-growing list, trust me—and focus on the two most pertinent for this Aesop-level fable. I’ll even try to come up with a moral at the end of the caper, but I fear the lesson is the…Read more...

In this week of the trial in Ahmaud Arbery’s death, the jury, family and supporters heard closing statements from both the prosecution and defense. The first to address the jury on Monday was prosecutor Linda Dunikoski, assistant district attorney for Cobb County, Georgia, and she focused on the facts.Read more...

On Tuesday, nominees for the 2022 Grammy Awards were announced.

When Peacock announced it was doing a dramatic remake of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air we had a lot of questions. Now the streaming network is answering a few of those questions in the series’ first teaser.Read more...

They say forgiveness helps the victim more than the offender, but this case feels like the latter is winning.

Welcome to another day in racial discrimination. And it looks like Black people are not the only ones experiencing it in this case.Read more...

In what should come as a complete surprise to absolutely nobody, the NBA has suspended LeBron James for the first time in his 19-year career as a result of his on-court altercation with Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart on Sunday, per ESPN.Read more...

The Weeknd doesn’t do anything small, from his notoriously catchy songs (we’ve still got “Blinding Lights” stuck in our heads) to his famously big stage productions. Why would his acting career be any different?Read more...

Sad news: Malcolm X’s youngest daughter, Malikah Shabazz, died on Monday, CNN reported. She was 56.Read more...

John Wick star Halle Berry and Red Notice star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are set to be honored at this year’s People’s Choice Award.

What’s in a name? Well, if you’re Summer Walker, it’s worth tattooing on your face—and if this is love, we don’t want it. Earlier this month, the already heavily inked singer-songwriter blessed fans with a slew of new breakup songs and empowering messages on her sophomore studio album Still Over It, which debuted at…Read more...

For years, former Brooklyn Nets guard Iman Shumpert publicly lamented the fact that he never was put in a position to showcase his full repertoire on the basketball court. Thankfully, he’s had a completely opposite experience off of it, as he’s dabbled in music, fashion, and other interests. But on Monday night, the…Read more...

Mr. Moore had been in the hospital for weeks with trouble breathing due to COVID-19 infection. His oxygen support fluctuated, and his condition eventually deteriorated. He didn’t make it. Mr. Moore was 61-years old. He was Black. And he was unvaccinated. This sad story reverberates across America.Read more...

People of color in the United States are targets of racial bias in the medical field; that’s something we all know and many of us have experienced. But it is something that is also happening around the world, specifically in the United Kingdom. Which shouldn’t be a shocker.Read more...

It’s been a quiet few interesting years for Jussie Smollett, but the former Empire star is resurfacing to promote his directorial debut...just before he’s slated to stand trial for, well, you know.

Historically, it’s been older Black men who have taken the reins on ending gun violence in their communities; which is a good thing. But since the signs reading “don’t shoot, I want to live” are not working, there is a need for other ideas that will stop this crisis. So, why aren’t more young Black men taking command…Read more...

“Last name ‘ever,’ first name ‘greatest.’ Like a sprained ankle, Drake and Yeezy ain’t nothing to play with.”Read more...

NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. is making a different kind of splash play, announcing on Instagram that he’s agreed to take the remainder of his 2021 salary in Bitcoin.

Cardi B is nothing if not a character, so we probably should’ve expected that for her hosting debut at the 2021 American Music Awards, she’d lean all the way into the drama—starting with the red carpet. The “WAP”-stress donned a curve-hugging, strapless black column dress and black tulle veil from legendary fashion…Read more...

Actress and media personality Tabitha Brown is expanding her empire with a new children’s series.

In Lexington, Ky., Black men are taking the issue of gun violence into their own hands to promote and organize change in their city.Read more...

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter likes to talk—a lot.Read more...

There are really only two things I don’t trust in this world: People who pose with guns and Black women who use white people haircare products. It looks like Republican Virginia Lt. Gov.-elect Winsome Sears does both.

Netflix is spinning off its popular reality show Selling Sunset into a brand new market. Selling Tampa features the women of Allure Realty, a Black-owned firm. All eight episodes hit Netflix Wednesday, Dec. 15.

Sometimes it’s better to say nothing. This is one of those times.

Something tells me the jury is going to get this one right.

Christmas is about being with family, great food, fun gifts and seeing Santa. However, it’s also about a non-stop barrage of Christmas movies. From Hallmark to Lifetime to BET+ to Ion to OWN, every network has a lineup of holiday movies starring familiar TV faces.Read more...

Every Monday, Very Smart Brothas Senior Editor Panama Jackson and Contributing Freelance Writer Shanelle Genai break down the latest episode of season 5 of HBO’s cultural flashpoint show, Insecure. Okay?! Spoilers ahead.

Greetings, Earthlings. Let’s get to it.Read more...

On Sunday night, the 2021 American Music Awards took place, airing live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

When former Secretary of State Colin Powell passed away, we were once again reminded of the vast number of important, influential Black leaders we have lost in 2021. Their contributions are many, and their impact is without question. Swipe along to pay tribute to those who’ve had a lasting impact on the Black…Read more...

In a swift bitchslap executed by karma herself, the vast majority of Time’s Up remaining staff were given their walking papers this past Friday. In a virtual meeting conducted by the organization’s leaders, the call began with an announcement that the layoffs were first announced to the Washington Post, and that the…Read more...